Blog

Why put more metal in our lives when it’s not necessary.You've probably heard that it’s not good to use antiperspirant deodorant because of the aluminum,but what about aluminum foil and food?

Studies have been done that “clearly indicate that the use of aluminum foil for cooking contributes significantly to the daily intake of aluminum through the cooked foods. The amount of leaching was found to be high in acidic solutions, and even higher with the addition of spices.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the obtained values considered to be unacceptable.Finally, excessive consumption of aluminum from leaching aluminum foil has an extreme health risk effects.Aluminum foil may be used for packing but not for cooking.” http://www.electrochemsci.org/papers/vol7/7054498.pdf

Although aluminum foil can be recycled, it must be clean of debris to be recycled properly.When used for grilling or baking in the oven, it’s often impossible to remove all the cooked on food.Many times aluminium foil is used to line pans to make clean up easy.

Here are some replacement options for disposable aluminum foil:

Parchment paper

Silicone mat

Grill basket

Cookie Sheet - for cooking or inverted to make a casserole dish cover

Cast Iron Pan

Other Food - use sturdy veggies like potatoes, onions or lemons to cook on

Stainless Steel Grill Basket

Stainless Steel Grilling Dome

Aluminum is a non-renewable resource so use it wisely and reuse it whenever possible.Better yet, use one of the Aluminum foil alternatives listed above for the oven and grill. They options are safer, more eco-friendly, easy to acquire and implement.

Thank you for reading this today! I highly recommend you share this electronic version (not printed copies) with everyone you know. The more people understand about “going zero-waste” and what it really means, the less single-use disposable waste would end up in our oceans and landfills. Please be sure to reference the sources and links to our website for more details on plastic-free alternatives to everyday living.

Thank you to all those people who inspire me everyday with their efforts to be zero-waste at home and in their journey through life. There are many people I admire and feel their advice is thoughtful and genuine (wish I could name them all!). There are four people I follow daily, read their entire posts, and usually find myself on their blog post or website for further details. Follow these peeps on Instagram:@jane_and_simple@Model4GreenLiving@robjgreenfield@carly_bergman@bezerowastegirl

WHAT DOES ZERO-WASTE MEAN? Zero Waste means reducing the amount of waste we produce but more importantly it is about about not wasting resources in the first place.

The movement of Zero Waste (ZW) set out with a goal to reduce waste around the world, especially those items that are not being reused or recycled. Shifts in are being made towards waste-free in how we consume food and drinks, dressed ourselves and our pets, play outside, clean our bodies and homes and or even how we work.

WHAT IS THE GOAL? The goal is to AVOID unnecessary packaging! Because of our current systems of manufacturing, it is not ALWAYS possible to eliminate excessive packaging. Somethings are just out of our control, so a focus on AVOIDING unnecessary packaging when we can is the goal.

You may be familiar with Bea Johnson. She wrote the first in depth book presenting the zero-waste movement to the world. https://zerowastehome.com/about/book/ After several years and a lot of research, Bea reduced the excess waste her family produced over one year to fit into one mason jar!

Have you ever talked to your grandparents about their reuse habits? Ask them to share some stories and discover again how easily you can reduce buying more and wasting less. We could stand more of the mentality in today’s world.

Buying Less Stuff Means You Have Less To Recycle And Free Up More Space

THE SIDE EFFECT? Less waste in your life will enrich your life by giving you more time to experience new activities which can lead to a better quality of life. In this guide, you will learn lots of good tips and tricks.

LET’S GET STARTED!These steps are designed to be motivational for you and easy to implement.Try these exercises to gain insight of the overall problem which can inspire you to make improvements.

1. Capture The Problem. If you are like most, you carry a smartphone everywhere Use it next time you are shopping.Snap pictures of products you use regularly and see how and what they are packaged in. You can even start in your own garage can and recycling bin for inspiration. Habits are ingrained in our purchases, and many times we don't even realize how toxic some packaging really is. Take a look at what packaging you are bringing into your home and learn what is made of and think of ways to avoid it.

2. Don’t Get Overwhelmed! Pick one item each week and work to replace that with a more eco-friendly - preferrably plastic-free or package free. Can you make it yourself? Is it available locally? Having a problem picking one item? Pick one room and start from there. For me, starting in the kitchen was easier.

3. Keep Motivated. Get on social media. The buddy system works great too - invite a friend to join you in this new adventure. There are plenty of great people sharing their journey - openly and without restrictions. Be sure to ask questions and share your good and bad moments. This is life. It won’t always be pretty and perfect.Follow the four people I listed above and they will definitely keep you motivated!!!

4. Make It Easy. Create a kit, just for you, that helps you meet your ZW goals. It is easier to avoid plastic packaging when you always have a ZW kit with you. In my car is a bag with mason jars, reusable cotton bags and a couple reusable take-out containers. I find it best when it’s always with me but if you are not always using the same vehicle, leave the bag near your front door, or a place you walk by every day. Planning your shopping trips in advance (even by an hour or two) can greatly increases your chances of success.

5. Keep Learning. Shameless plug right here-- join my newsletter and follow me on Instagram and Twitter. I like to share what I learn, share what I learn from others and provide solutions whenever possible.Check out like-minded ‘Meetup’ groups. Search Facebook for zero-waste groups and join one or two - not 10. There are lots of way so keep plugged in without feeling overwhelmed..

6. Track It. Do you want accountability? Write it down! When a doctor is trying to diagnose your issue, or if you are struggling to lose/gain weight; keeping a journal is generally a recommended part of the routine. Keep track of your progress. Write down the items you’ve replaced. Develop a system to figure out how much less is going into your recycling and trash bins. You may be very pleasantly surprised to see improvements in areas you did not expect. For example, I took on the challenge to not purchase store bought almond milk. My household was going through three cartons a week! It was not an area I thought of until I posed the question to myself - “What can I make that we use a lot of?” Turns our nut milks and nut butters are prized possessions on our home. I can happily tell you that I have been making almond milk at home over two years now. That is over 312 cartons NOT in the landfill!

Going zero-waste is a lifetime journey, not something you will master and finish this year. Take your time to enjoy the process. Will it be frustrating? Yes! Will you get mad and disappointed sometimes? Definitely! Will you be successful at zero-waste? For sure! All steps towards less packaging and plastic-free is beneficial to you, your family and the planet. So keep doing it, a little everyday; and you will be amazed at how far you come in just a few short months from now.

Let me know your struggles, pains and successes in using the 6 steps mentioned above. We are all in this together. It really does take a village to prosper, no one can do it alone.

Looking to make eco improvements in your life? Consider taking advantage of some of these easy, everyday tips. As you continue on your journey down the road to sustainable living, these tips will be come habits. The following 8 easy tip to sustainable living are all excellent examples of what it's like to live the lifestyle.

1. Make your own cleaning solution out of lemon juice, vinegar and warm water. It cleans almost anything and is completely safe. Don’t care for the smell of vinegar? Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to the mix.

2. Food for thought. Plan your weekly meals based on what you already have at home. Dig in your cupboards and pull out the “forgotten” cans and bags of goodies. Using what you have cuts down on food waste and saves money on a weekly basis. Have a garden or a few gardening pots? Try your hand at growing one or two easy things. Fresh food tastes amazing! Start with easy-to-grow plants like a plum tomatoes, basil, lettuces….or any herbs you enjoy. Have kids at home? Grow radishes and carrots. They are fun to watch, abundant and grow quickly. If you have a garden space in your yard, take full advantage of it. If you are like me and don't prefer to garden bent over, look into aeroponic growing. I highly use a Tower Garden and have the opportunity to grow 28 different plants all within a self-contained watering system. Remember, it’s not necessary to eat meat every day of the week.

3. Use rainwater to water plants. During the rainy months, I set a small trash outside my back porch door to collect rainwater and use it when it fills. I add the rainwater to our Tower Garden, feed the indoor plants and occasionally use it too fill up the bird baths. They love fresh water too!

4. Watch your water usage and drop a brick. There are a number of ways to reduce water use in the home, like shorter showers, low-flow faucets and showerheads, but there's another place where a small action can make a big difference. According to the EPA, more water is used by Americans each day to flush toilets than any other activity (at home), so drastically reducing the amount of clean municipal water that gets flushed away each day will really add up! Place a brick in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water necessary to flush.5. Purchase a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. A HEPA filter is a type of mechanical air filter; it works by forcing air through a fine mesh that traps harmful particles such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and tobacco smoke.

7. Use cloth grocery bags and reusable travel mugs. By now, youve heard about how single-use plastic waste is piling up on our planet and causing harm to our soil, waterways and oceans. We can live with less single-use plastic waste, it just takes a little pre planning on your part.

8. Say no to synthetic fragrances. Yes, they make your products smell delightful, but if you could see how synthetic fragrances were made, you'd be less likely to be impressed. One fragrance in one personal care product—say, your bodywash—can consist of as many as 200 chemicals combined to come up with that particular scent. The real problem with fragrance is the lack of knowing which chemicals make up that particular scent. On the ingredient list, you'll read only the word “fragrance.” Replace “fragrance” in your life with quality essential oils.

These 8 easy tips to sustainable living are just the tip of the melting ice caps. There are many more good options that I will share with you in future posts. You don't have to jump in head-first, making all these changes at once to make a difference. Many people practice this way of life on a small scale with huge success.

If this is something you're interested in trying, there's really no better time to jump in. You can apply this concept to virtually any part of your life, quite easily. Chances are your days will be more enjoyable and stress-free. What could be better than that?

Share with me ways you brought more sustainable habits into your life. I love hearing from you. We are on this beautiful planet together, let’s do our part - together!